Some people have a bad day. | Calibrations

[heeeyadora]

WHO: Catra, OPEN
WHERE: Catra's Calibration Room
WHAT: Catra's Calibration
WHEN: 3 June - 10 June
WARNINGS: Child abuse, violence, possible She-Ra spoilers (up to end of season 4)



The room you step into is one of utilitarian design, metal walls and bunks with perfunctory mats that serves as mattresses, along with a single pillow. By it there's a crude drawing of two girls, one of which seems to be scratched out.

A small shape sits on the end of one of the lower bunks, hidden away under a thin blanket and sniffling, though she'll hiss if you approach. She holds a letter clutched tight in her fists, and that may be what has her so upset.

Meanwhile, the longer you're here, more you might begin to notice, something seems off. Part of the room seems to be fading away, being slowly devoured by whiteness. Will you avoid the impending doom or explore it?

Comments

[hulkintraining]

He rolls his eyes. "I didn't pick mine either. That doesn't mean I don't like it though."

His expression goes carefully blank for a moment as he stares at her. Stunned. "The Fright Zone," he repeats, hardly able to believe what he's saying. "The Hoarde? This is definitely sounding like we're trapped in some super villain's lair."

A super villain that enlists the help of children? Yikes.

[heeeyadora]

"What?...What?" she demands as Teddy questions the name of the Fright Zone, and of the Hoarde. "It's better than 'Bright Moon'." Yeah, Teddy guess of a super villain lair really might not be that far off.

"Are you a Rebellion spy? Are you working for the Princesses?" she accuses.

[hulkintraining]

Oh, he's made her angry again. Maybe insulting her uh...home wasn't the best course of action. Even if it is very villainy.

"Rebellion? Princesses?" He shakes his head slowly. "No. I'm not involved with any of that. I'm not even from here. Wherever...here is exactly." The 'Fright Zone' doesn't exactly make that any clearer for him.

Then, his eye catches sight of the letter in her hands.

"What's that?" Do people still write handwritten letters here?

[heeeyadora]

"Etheria," she supplies, to further attempt to clarify the 'where', though that probably means just as little to him.

She looks down at the letter in her hands, and gives a little sniff before nodding, offering it up for Teddy to take. "It's from Scorpia."

[hulkintraining]

No, that doesn't clear up anything. But he can at least put a name to what he's assuming is another planet. He can work with that.

He hesitates to take the letter, a bit surprised that she would share something with him that seems personal. "Is Scorpia a friend of yours?"

Finally, he reaches out and takes the letter.

[heeeyadora]

"..." Catra's ears wilt a little, and she glances away, "...Not anymore."

As he takes the letter the world shifts.

The fully grown Catra paces the hallway with a low growl, stopping to cross her arms when she's approached by the hulking figure of Scorpia.

"You better have something for me," she demands, looking unimpressed.

Scorpia blinks, before putting on a smile and holding up a pincer, clutching a damaged computer chip. "Entrapta's recordings. She stored them all in Emily."

Catra looks surprised and then grins, taking it before she notices the damage, smile fading away.

"...The chip got damaged when I extracted it," Scorpia explains, "But hopefully that won't matter?" Catra's fist clench tightly as Scorpia continues, "It was just so small, and you know, pincers ."

"...You. broke. the recordings?" Catra repeats in a dangerously quiet voice, eyes narrowed.

"I-I didn't mean to-"

"I asked you to do one thing," Catra throws the chip aside, "One simple thing and you completely ruined it! But of course you ruined it. Yeah. You're Scorpia. That's just what you do," she berates cruelly, while Scorpira stands there looking hurt.

Resuming her pacing Catra continues to rant. "You couldn't handle Emily, you never know when to shut up. The only thing you've ever done is get in my way!" She gestures violently with her claws, "What did I expect? I mean how can you possibly be this useless?"

A beat of silence passes, and Scorpia's hurt look remains before Catra's demands, "What?!"

Another beat, and Scorpia finally looks up, calm but sad. "...You're a bad friend." She says it with a soft finality and turns to walk away, while Catra stares after her in shock.

[hulkintraining]

Teddy watches the encounter unfold with brows furrowed and a small frown on his face. But even as the older Catra insults the other woman, he can't help but think of the little girl he had just been speaking with and how she had looked so sad clutching Scorpia's letter.

He doesn't know what had driven Catra to be so angry, but he can guess that she had only been lashing out at the time.

As the memory fades he only has one question.

"Have you apologized to her?"

[heeeyadora]

Apologized? Catra balks at the idea, rolling her eyes automatically, and huffing. "I won't say I'm sorry. Ever," she insists, and then, "...she left. I can't say anything. She left me like they all do."

[hulkintraining]

"Why not?" He asks, tilting his head to the side. "How do you expect to make amends with people if you're not going to apologize?"

Then he goes silent, not sure what to say next. Once someone leaves it can be hard to fix things. "Do you know where she went?"

[heeeyadora]

"Why should I?" she grumbles, with all the logic of a small child, tail twitching behind her.

"It doesn't matter. She left. She's not coming back. I don't need her. I don't need any of them."

[hulkintraining]

The response is so childish and appropriate coming from her that he can't help but smile a little. Ah the logic of a kid.

"Because you're friends. Because you were wrong to treat her like that. And because you care about your relationship."

He shakes his head.

"If that were true then I don't think you would feel as bad as you do about her leaving. Everyone needs someone."

[heeeyadora]

She shakes her head defiantly. "I don't need anyone. And she's not my friend any more. I won't say sorry. Not ever."